Container assembly



May 19,. 1964 Filed Jan. 15, 1.962

B. BULOVIC CONTRINER ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet l y 1964 B. BULOVIC3,133,634

CONTAINER ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 15, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

INVENTOR.

United States Patent O 3,133,634 CONTAIVER ASSEMBLY Bozdar Bulovic,Chicago, IlL, assignor to Wm. Wrigley Jr. ompany,v Chicago, 111., acorporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 15, 1962, Ser. No. 166,222 2 Claims.(Cl. 206-47) This invention relates to container assemblies, and moreparticularly to such an assembly embodying a carton for holding items tobe dispensed therefrom and a refuse container attached to the carton forsupport thereby' in use, as well as being collapsible for enclosurewithin the carton pending use.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a container assemblywhich is adapted to carry wrapped items, and which embodies a containerin which the wrappers may be placed for discard.

Another object of this invention is to provide a container assemblywhich includes a relatively stiff enclosure carton for supporting andenclosing a plurality of articles in a manner in which the articles arereadily accessible for use, and which carton also has a compartment inwhich a collapsed and attached refuse container is normally packed in amanner permitting it to be suspended from the carton and supportedthereby in an accessible position for use.

More specifically, my invention comprehends the provision of a containerassembly adapted to be attached to and supported from a supportingstructure, such as a vertical wall or the dashboard of an automobile, toprovide a readily accessible supply of a confection, and which assemblyincludes a convenient container for waste material.

As another object, the invention has Within its purview the provision ofa container assembly including a compartmented carton, one of whichcompartments of the carton has a side opening through which articlescarried thereby are accessible, and which carton has structural portionsnormally retaining the articles therein, while affording ease of removalthereof through the opening.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a container assemblywhich includes, in addition to a supporting tab, a structural portionwhich carries a waste container in a readily accessible position forreceiving waste material associated with the goods normally contained inthe assembly and separated from the goods at the time of use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View from the front of a container assemblyembodying a preferred form of this invention and showing the parts ofthe assembly in folded positions adapted to handling prior to sale anduse;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section through the container assembly, asviewed from one side, and illustrates the container assembly, withcontents and supported relative to a supporting structure;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the disclosedcontainer assembly of FIGS. 1 and 2, with a second container removedfrom and supported by a first container, with the parts in a positionadapted for use;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the structuredepicted in FIG. 3, and showing that struc ture as being suspendedrelative to a support;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of one type of blank suited to the production of aportion of the illustrated container assembly; and

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of a part of the illustratedcontainer assembly other than that depicted in FIG. 5.

3,133,634 Patented May 19, 1964 In the embodiment of my invention whichis depicted in the accompanying drawings for illustrative purposes, thecontainer assembly includes a box-type carton 10 of generallyrectangular shape which has a tab 12 at the top thereof from and bywhich the container assembly is suspended from a supporting structure13, such as a wall or the surface of a dashboard of a vehicle. At thebottom, the carton 10 is closed by a manually movable closure element14- Which, in the disclosed structure, is hingedly connected to a backwall 15 of the carton. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a front wall 16 of thecarton has an opening 17 therein which, in this instance, is in the formof a slot extending laterally of the front wall of the carton at aposition spaced above the bottom thereof and through which articles areaccessible for being removed from the interior of the carton. Adjacentthe bottom of the opening 17 and at opposite sides of the interior ofthe carton, partitioning and supporting elements 18 and 19 are securedwithin the carton for supporting articles to be dispensed through theopening 17, and effectively to provide a compartment 20 within thecarton and between the bottom of the opening 17 and the closure element14.

A bag-type container 22 provides a second part of the assembly and ismade of relatively thin flexible material, such as cellophane, sheetplastic or paper and is in a form adapted to be collapsed and compactedfor packing, shipment and handling, prior to use, in the compartment 20of the carton. The bag-type container 22 has an open top 23 and, asillustrated in FIGS. 3 and 6, is made of two sheets 24 and 25 ofmaterial secured together at 0pposite sides and across the bottom bymeans such as sealed seams 26. For convenience in use, the bag-typecontainer 22 is secured to the inner surface of the closure element 14to be supported thereby in a suspended position from the carton 10.

Although not limited to such use, the disclosed container assembly isshown in a form adapted to carry a plurality of packages 27 of a wrappedconfection, such as chewing gum. When packed for shipment and sale, thedisclosed container assembly may, for example, include five of thepackages 27, with the parts thereof disposed in the positionsillustrated in FIG. 1, and the con tainer assembly and its contents maybe enclosed in a suitable outer wrapper, such as a transparent wrappingmaterial, for purposes of display and sale. In use, the containerassembly may be supported relative to the supporting structure 13through the tab 12 by a pressure sensitive adhesive on the back or outersurface of the tab 12 and normally covered by a cover sheet 28 whichdesirably has a tab 29 thereon which may be manually gripped for ease ofremoval of the cover sheet and ex posure of the surface having thepressure sensitive adhesive thereon. Also, in use, and after removal ofany outer wrapper from the container assembly, the bottom closureelement 14 is opened to the position depicted in F168. 3 and 4, and thecontainer 22 is unrolled and unfolded for use in a position suspendedfrom the closure element 14, to which it is secured by means such as anadhesive. When thus disposed, the packages 27 are exposed for removalthrough the opening 17 and the container 22 is readily accessible forreceiving wrappers removed from the package and its contents.

Considering the structure of the carton 10 in greater detail, andalthough such a carton may be made in other ways, the illustrated cartonis made from a unitary blank 39 of the type shown in FIG. 5. In theillustrated blank structure, the front wall 16, having the opening 17punched therein, has side wall portions 32 and 33 thereon which arerespectively adapted to being folded to right angular relationship withthe front wall along scored fold lines 34 and 35. At the upper ends ofthe side walls 32 and 33, tab elements 36 and 37 are provided which arefolded :downwardly to generally right angular relationship with therespective side walls along scored fold lines 33 and 39 respectively. Atthe top of the front wall 16, an end wall 40 is provided which is foldedto generally right angular relationship with respect to the front wall16 along a scored fold line 42 and is secured to the tab elements 36 and37 on the side walls, which it ovelaps. The back wall 15 adjoins theside wall 33 and is folded relative thereto along a scored fold line 43.Also, the side wall 32 has adjoined thereto a tab element 44 which isfolded relative to the latter side wall along a scored fold line 45. Thetab element 44 is overlapped by a marginal portion of the back wall 15and is secured thereto, as by an adhesive 46. A tab element 47 is alsoadjoined to the top end wall 40 and is folded relative thereto along ascored fold line 48, so that in the carton structure, it is secured tothe inner surface of the back wall, as by adhesive 49.

The tab 12 adjoins the top of the back wall 15 and folds relativethereto along a scored fold line 50. When packed for shipment and sale,the tap 12 overlies the end wall 40, as shown in FIG. 1, while in use,it is folded out to the position shown in FTG. 2.

At the bottom of the front wall 16, the partitioning and supportingelements 18 and 19 are adjoined to the bottom of the front wall throughan element 52 which folds into flush relationship with the inner surfaceof the front wall along a scored fold line 53 and is secured thereto, asby an adhesive. The partitioning and supporting elements 18 and 19 foldrelative to the element 52 along scored fold lines 54 and 55respectively and fold along those lines to extend across the interior ofthe carton from the front to the back walls somewhat below the loweredge of the opening 17. Also, an element 56 adjoins the partitioning andsupporting elements 18 and 19 and is folded relative thereto along foldlines 57 and 58 respectively, to a position in which it is secured tothe inner surface of the back wall 15, as by an adhesive. Tabs 59 and 60on the bottom ends of the side walls 32 and 33 respectively are foldedinto contact with the inner surfaces of those side walls and are securedthereto, as by an adhesive, to reinforce the lower portions of thebottom ends of the side walls. The closure element 14 has an element 62thereon which folds relative thereto along a scored fold line 63. Thislatter element 62 slides into the lower end of the carton to retain theclosure element 14 in a closed position. The container 22 is secured tothe inner surface of the closure element 14 by means, such as anadhesive 64, which adhesive not only supports the container relative tothe closure element for use, but also holds the container in a laterallyextended position across the closure element.

The placement of the partitioning and supporting elements 18 and 19somewhat below the lower edge of the opening 17 provides projectingmarginal portions, such as 65, at opposite sides of the opening, whichprojecting marginal portions aid in retaining articles within the cartonin an exposed positionadjacent the opening 17 until each article isremoved by manually lifting it above the upwardly projecting marginalportions.

To provide adequate space for waste material in addition to the wrappersof articles carried within the carton, the container 22 is desirablywider than the carton. To collapse and compact the container 22 forenclosure within the compartment 29 at the lower end of the carton 10,side portions 66 and 67 thereon are folded inwardly along fold lines 68and 69 respectively, which are indicated in FIG. 6, and the container,after being thus folded, is rolled from the bottom toward the top,

. so that it can then be placed within the compartment 20, as shown inFIG. 2, and the element 62 of the closure element 14 is pushed into thecarton along the front wall thereof.

In th disclosed structure, recesses 70 and 72 adjoin the mid-regions ofthe upper and lower edges of the opening 17 to afford spaces for thefingers in gripping articles for removal from the carton. When the lowerarticle, adjacent the opening 17 is removed from the carton, thearticles above gravitate to the partitioning and supporting elements 13and 19 for support therefrom. The element 52 and the element 62 haverecesses 73 and 74 respectively therein which are complementary to therecess 72 in the assembled carton and so that those elements do notobstruct the recess 72.

From the foregoing description and references to the accompanyingdrawings, it may be readily understood that I have provided a containerassembly adapted to retain articles in a convenient position for use,and from which the articles are readily dispensed, and which containerassembly embodies a waste container for the deposit and disposition ofwrappers from the dispensed articles and other waste material.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed is:

1. A container assembly for carrying a plurality of relativelyinflexible items of predetermined size to be dispensed therefrom andcomprising, in combination, a generally rectangular carton structurehaving side walls, front and back walls in separated and opposedrelationship to one another and spaced to receive a plurality of saiditems therebetween in a stack extending endwise along said back andfront walls between opposite sides thereof, and closure means forbridging the space between top and bottom ends of the front and backwalls, said closure means for bridging the space between the bottoms ofthe front and back walls being hingedly connected tothe back wall andmovable relative to the front wall, said front wall having an openingtherein extending laterally thereof intermediate the top and bottom endsthereof and of a size through which said items are movable from thecontainer with active freedom one at a time, partitioning and supportingmeans extending between the front and back walls below opposite endregions of said opening for supporting said items within the cartonstructure at and above the opening for gravitational feed to the openingas items are individually removed through the opening, said partitioningand supporting means being spaced downwardly from the opening so that amarginal portion of the lower part of the front wall adjacent theopening provides a retaining surface below the opening for normallyholding the lowermost one of said items within the carton structureadjacent said opening, a bagtype container made of flexible material andhaving an open top end, said bag-type container having a top regionsecured to an inner surface of said closure means at the bottom of thecarton for suspension therefrom, and said bag-type container and thespace within said carton below said partitioning and supporting meansbeing so related that the bag-type container can be collapsed andcompacted to fit within the carton below said partitioning andsupporting means.

2. A container assembly as defined in claim 1 and wherein said bag-typecontainer is wider than said carton and the closure means thereof towhich it is secured, and said bag-type container being collapsed andcompacted by having the outer side marginal regions thereof folded overthe mid-region thereof and by the thus folded container being rolledupon itself from the bottom to the top.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,094,009 Parkhurst Apr. 21, 1914 8,646 Taylor Feb. 21, 1933 5,341Walker et al. June 27, 1933 3,939 Craig Jan. 22, 1935 59 Roet Sept. 29,1936 1, 8 Hines Feb. 23, 1937 ,275 Schwimmer et al. July 1, 19582,387,216 Hargraves May 19, 1959 ,173. Schnabel Dec. 13, 1960

1. A CONTAINER ASSEMBLY FOR CARRYING A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELY INFLEXIBLE ITEMS OF PREDETERMINED SIZE TO BE DISPENSED THEREFROM AND COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR CARTON STRUCTURE HAVING SIDE WALLS, FRONT AND BACK WALLS IN SEPARATED AND OPPOSED RELATIONSHIP TO ONE ANOTHER AND SPACED TO RECEIVE A PLURALITY OF SAID ITEMS THEREBETWEEN IN A STACK EXTENDING ENDWISE ALONG SAID BACK AND FRONT WALLS BETWEEN OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, AND CLOSURE MEANS FOR BRIDGING THE SPACE BETWEEN TOP AND BOTTOM ENDS OF THE FRONT AND BACK WALLS, SAID CLOSURE MEANS FOR BRIDGING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE BOTTOMS OF THE FRONT AND BACK WALLS BEING HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE BACK WALL AND MOVABLE RELATIVE TO THE FRONT WALL, SAID FRONT WALL HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN EXTENDING LATERALLY THEREOF INTERMEDIATE THE TOP AND BOTTOM ENDS THEREOF AND OF A SIZE THROUGH WHICH SAID ITEMS ARE MOVABLE FROM THE CONTAINER WITH ACTIVE FREEDOM ONE AT A TIME, PARTITIONING AND SUPPORTING MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE FRONT AND BACK WALLS BELOW OPPOSITE END REGIONS OF SAID OPEN- 